Sneaking contraband into a state prison is tough enough on its own. Trying it while a team of state troopers is parked nearby, already tipped off? That’s a much worse plan.
According to the Michigan State Police, that’s about how things went at the Newberry Correctional Facility in Luce County this past winter.
A Tip, Then a Stakeout
On February 28, staff at the Newberry prison alerted the MSP Sault Ste. Marie Post to a possible smuggling attempt. Troopers set up surveillance around the facility and, before long, spotted suspicious activity involving a vehicle and several people nearby. They pulled the vehicle over a short time later.
What Turned Up in the Yard
Meanwhile, prison staff found a package that had made it inside the prison yard — past a buffer fence, two chain-link fences, and electronic detection systems. Inside it, police say, was roughly 100 grams of methamphetamine and four ounces of THC wax.
Three Arrests
All three people taken into custody were from Lower Michigan. Two Kalamazoo men — Trayvonte Brown, 27, and Daquarius Turner, 32 — were lodged at the Luce County Jail and arraigned March 3 in 92nd District Court. Each is facing felony charges of delivering or manufacturing methamphetamine and marijuana, along with bringing contraband into a prison and contributing to the delinquency of a child. Bond was set at $10,000 each.
The third was a 16-year-old boy from Battle Creek, charged with smuggling contraband into a prison and possession with intent to deliver. Because he’s a juvenile, police haven’t released his name.
One thing worth stating plainly: these are charges, not convictions. As the State Police pointed out, everyone is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
A U.P. Drug Team Helped Close It Out
Troopers had backup from the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), the Luce County Sheriff’s Office, and the prison’s own staff. UPSET is the multi-agency unit whose entire focus is intercepting drugs moving into and around the U.P. — and the heads-up from Newberry staff gave them the opening they needed.
For a facility ringed by double fences and electronic detection, it turns out the most valuable security feature was a sharp-eyed staff and a quick phone call.
For more on what’s happening across the U.P., check out the rest of Yooper Hub.
Source: Michigan State Police, as reported by TV6 (WLUC).
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